l beauty will not be seen till
it has acquired age, and become covered with mosses and ferns.
Fortunately for the plants and for good taste, there is no shelving in
this house. Beds are formed of brick, with a neat coping, in which the
pots are set. This arrangement is much more effective than any manner
of staging could possibly be.

[Illustration: FIG. 43.--_Interior View._]

In order to give the reader an idea of the interior of this apartment,
we have prepared a perspective view of it. (See _Fig._ 43.) From this a
good conception can be formed of the appearance and arrangement of the
beds, fountain, &c.

Returning through the cold grapery, we have on its north side a boiler
and potting room. The boiler pit is sunk beneath the floor of this room,
and has connected with it a coal bin and shoot. Communicating with the
potting-room is a propagating room, in the north end of the
conservatory, and divided from it by a solid partition. It is provided
with hot-water pipes for furnishing bottom heat. It will propagate all
the bedding and other plants needed on the place. It will thus be seen
that there are ample facilities for furnishing an abundant supply of
grapes and flowers. The house, as a whole, forms a marked feature of the
grounds.

DESIGN No. 16.

The following design was prepared for Dr. Butler, of the Retreat for the
Insane at Hartford, Conn. The doctor had conceived the idea that a
green-house might be made to serve a very important part in the
treatment of the insane, having noticed the soothing influence of plants
upon his patients, more especially the females. We have no doubt that
his anticipations will be fully realized; for we can scarcely conceive
of anything better calculated to heal the "mind diseased," than daily
intercourse with these voiceless, but gladsome children of Nature.

_Fig._ 44 is a perspective view of the house. It is twenty-four feet
wide and seventy-five long. It has a low, curved roof, and side sashes
three feet six inches high. We do not make these roofs low for the sake
of architectural effect, though this point is certainly gained; but
rather for the sake of the plants, a low roof, in this respect,
possessing incalculable advantages over one that is steep. When
attention is once generally fixed on this point, plant growers will not
be slow to acknowledge the superiority of the low roof. It has often
surprised us that gardeners will assume a great deal of unnecessary
labor fo